Headstock



1945- J. CONNELL HEADSTOCK Filed Oct; 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

JOHN L.. GONNELL FIG.2.

A118. 14, 1945- J. L. CONNELL 2,382,603

HEADSTOCK Filed Oct. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl I IN VEN TOR.

3 JOHN 1.. CONNELL ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 14, 1945 HEADSTOCK John L.Connell, Detroit, Mich., assignor to National Breach & Machine Company,Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October 19, 1942,Serial No. 462,593

3 Claims.

The invention relates to machines for finishing gears and refersmoreparticularly to the mounting for the gears to be finished.

Heretofore, in the finishing of gears unitary with relatively longshafts, the usual practice has been to locate the gear near theheadstock with the portion of the shaft at one side of the gearextending through the headstock and the other portion of the shaftengaging the center of the tailstock. To remove the shaft and gear unitthe headstock has been moved away from the tailstock a distancesufiicient to pull the shaft out of the headstock and then another shaftand gear unit could be mounted in the headstock and the latter moved toa position to provide for engagement of the shaft by the center of thetailstock and to register the gear with the finishing tool.

The present invention has for one of its objects to so construct themounting for the shaft and gear unit that the unit may be mounted inrlaco and removed without disturbing the normal setting of the machine,whereby the gear will be accurately positioned with respect to thefinishing tool.

The invention has for another of its objects to so construct themounting that the shaft and gear unit may be readily and quickly mountedin place and removed.

The invention has for a further object to so construct the headstockforming part of the mounting that the spindle of the headstock forreceiving the shaft is rotatable aboutthe base of the headstock toprovide for mounting and removi ng t e unit.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thedescription and claims, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gear finishing machineembodying the invention and showing the parts in operative relation:

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in inoperative relation;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the headstock of the machine;

Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof, partly in section;

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

The gear finishing machine, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, isdesigned to finish external gears by shaving or lapping operations. Moreparticularly, the machine comprises the table I, the carriage 2reciprocably mounted on the table and provided with the ways 3, theheadstock 4 and the tailstock l mounted on the carriage ways, and thehead 8 above the carriage. The table and head are mounted on the column1 of the machine, the table being vertically adjustable and the headbeing rotatably adjustable about a vertical axis. The head carries thegear-like finishing tool 8 which is adapted to mesh with and finish thegear 9 mounted on the headstock and tailstock. The finishing tool andgear when in operative relation to each other have their axes inclinedto each other and mesh at crossed axes, the angle of inclination beingdetermined bythe angular position of the cutter head. During thefinishing operation, the finishing tool is positively rotated androtates the gear and at the same time the carriage is reciprocated torelatively feed the finishing tool and the gear axially'of the latter.

The above construction of the machine, including the mechanisms forrotating the finishing tool and reciprocating the carriage to therebyreciprocate the gear and its mounting is essentially the same asillustrated in the R. S. Drummond Patent No. 2,270,421, issued January20, 1942. The finishing tool, as shown in the present instance, is acutting tool, but a lapping tool may be equally well used.

To finish gears which are unitary with relatively long shafts, themounting comprising the headstock and tailstock is constructed toprovide for mounting the gear and shaft units and removing the samewithout disturbing the normal setting of the machine which accuratelylocates the gear with respect to the finishing tool. The headstock hasthe spindle III which is tubular or hollow from end to end to receivewith a sliding fit the portion H of the shaft at one side of the gear 9.The end of the spindle facing the tailstock forms the abutment I2 forpositioning the gear in predetermined operative relation to thefinishing tool. The abutment may be directly engaged by the gear or, asshown in the present instance, the abutment is engaged by one end of thetubular spacer [3 which encircles the shaft portion II and which has itsother end engaging the gear. The spindle is journaled in and extendshorizontally throw the upper portion of the housing ll which is mountedon the base l5 and is rotatable about a vertical axis. As shown, thebase has the upwardly extending annular flange l6 which is rotatablyengaged by the lower portion of the housing. The base is suitably formedto engage the ways on the carriage and it is secured to the carriage inpredetermined relation to the finishing tool by means of the bolts l1and nuts It at its corners. The predetermined position is such that whenthe shaft and gear unit'is mounted on the headstock and the tailstock itwill be accurately positioned with respect to the finishing tool so thatthe latter can properly finish the gear. This is the normal setting ofthe machine.

It will be noted that the tailstock I is of usual construction and hasthe axially adjustable center I! for engaging the end of the portion 20of the shaft at the side of the gear 9 opposite the portion i i.

To angular ly position the spindle III in axial alignment with thecenter I, the base it of the headstock is provided with the upwardlyextending pin 20 which projects into the arcuate recess 2| formed in thelower portion of the housing If and which is engageable by the set screw22 ad- Justably threaded in the lower portion of the housing.

To clamp the spindle II in its operative position, there is the shaft 23extending transversely through and journaled in the housin l4 above theannular flange ii. This shaft has substantially midway of its ends theccentric portion 24 which is engaged by the eye of the depending rod 2!which supports the clamping block 26 through the nut 21 threaded uponthe lower end of the rod. The clamping block is formed with the annularflange 28 which upon raising of the clamping block is adapted to engagethe annular shoulder 28 formed on the base I I. It will be noted thatthe rod extends through the annular flange ii of the base. III is a handlever secured to one end of the shaft 23 for rotating the shaft toeither a position releasing the clampin block from the base or aposition holding the clamping block tightly against the base. The handlever may be yieldably secured in either of these positions by suitablemeans, such as the springpressed ball 3| carried by the hub of the handlever and adapted to extend into recesses in the portion of the housingopposite the hub.

With this construction and with the parts in operative position, asillustrated in Figure 1, it will be seen that by retracting the centerI! of the tailstock to the position illustrated in Figure 2 and then byswinging the hand lever 30 to release the clamping block 28 from thebase I! the housing H and the spindle III, which at this time supportsthe shaft and gear unit, can be swung to the position illustrated inFigure 2, at which time the shaft and gear unit may be readily removedby pulling the shaft out of the spindle. Another shaft and gear unit maythen be mounted by moving the shaft into the spindle until the gearcontacts the spacer ii, at which time the gear is accurately spacedaxially of the spindle. Then the housing, spindle, and shaft and gearunit can be swung to their operative positions axially aligning theshaft with the center of the tailstock as determined by the set screw 22engaging the upright pin 20. Then the tailstock can be advanced intoengagement with the shaft. after which the machine may e Placed inoperation to effect the finishing of the gear. It will be noted that theconstruction is such that 'the normal setting of the headstock toaccurately position the gear in relation to the cutting tool is notdisturbed during either the mounting or the removal of the shaft andgear unit.

What I claim as my invention is:

.1. In a machine for finishing a tooth surface of a gear unitary with arelatively long shaft. the combination with a rotary finishing tool forthe tooth surface and a tailstock having an axially movable center, of aheadstock comprising a housing, a spindle iournaled in said housing andhollow throughout its length for the passage therethrough of the gearshaft, said spindle guiding the gear shaft and having an abutment forpositioning the gear in predetermined relation to and in mesh with saidtool in the operative position of said spindle. a base on which saidhousing is mounted for angular movement through a path substantiallyparallel to the axis of said tool to provide for inserting and removingthe gear and shaft, and means for securing said housing to said bas in arotative position of said housing locating said spindle in operativeposition in axial alignment with said center.

2. In a machine for finishing the teeth surfaces of a gear on arelatively long shaft, the combination,with a rotary tool for meshingwith the gear and finishing the teeth surfaces and a tailstock having anaxially movable center, of a headstock comprising a base, a housingrotatabiy mounted on said base and a spindle journaled in said housingand movable with said housing through a path substantially parallel tothe axis of said tool to provide for inserting and removing the gear andshaft, said spindle being hollow for the insertion thereinto of the gearshaft and serving to guide the gear shaft and to position the gear inpredetermined relation to and in mesh with said tool when said spindleis in operative position.

3. In a machine for finishing a tooth surface of a gear unitary with arelatively long shaft, the combination with a gear finishing toolrotatable about a horizontal axis and a tailstock havin an axiallymovable center, of a headstock comprising a base, a housing on said baserotatable about a vertical axis and a spindle horizontally journalled insaid housing and rotatable about a vertical axis with said housing toprovide for mounting and re moving the gear and shaft, said spindlebeing hollow throughout its length for the passagethereinto of the gearshaft, said spindle having a sliding fit with the gear shaft and havingan abutment for positioning the gear in predetermined relation to saidbase, said base being positioned to position the gear in predeterminedrelation to said tool when said spindle is in axial alignment with saidcenter.

JOHN L. CONNELL.

